Xiaogushan is a 102 MW hydro power station in Gansu Sheng, China. It is operated by Gansu Heihe Energy Development Co Ltd; Zhangye Municipal Water & Power Bureau; G. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 102k homes (estimated). It ranks #2538 of 6,685 China power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2006, it is around 20 years old — relatively modern. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, hydro supplies about 13.2% of China's electricity; the national grid averages 525 gCO₂/kWh (41.7% low-carbon) (2025).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1070929.
Data status
Known data
Calculated from dataset
Not available
Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.
Data provenance
Capacity and fuel are the upstream open-dataset record, not yet matched to a 2026 registry or GEM entry.
capacity: WRI GPPD; fuel: WRI GPPD
In context: how this plant compares
At 102 MW, Xiaogushan is well above the median hydro plant in China (24 MW). Technically it is described as run-of-river. Hydropower converts the energy of falling or flowing water into electricity; output depends on rainfall and reservoir level, and large dams also provide grid balancing and storage.
Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.
Key facts
- Share of China hydro capacity
- less than 0.1% of 262,337 MW across 947 plants in this dataset
- Age among peers
- 119 of 381 dated hydro plants in China are older
Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).
Capacity vs largest hydro plants in China
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by Gansu Heihe Energy Development Co Ltd; Zhangye Municipal Water & Power Bureau; G.
Local climate & thermal context
This hydro plant converts the energy of falling or flowing water through hydro turbines. It sits in a cold semi-arid steppe climate (Köppen BSk) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 38.9°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.
Monthly mean temperature
Heating degree-days here run 67% above the median power plant in this dataset — a proxy for how much extra energy heated equipment must replace through its surfaces in winter.
Climate heat-demand index: 85/100 — this site sits in the top third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.
Climate normals: WorldClim 2.1 (1970–2000 monthly normals, 10 arc-min, CC BY 4.0); zone: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid). Degree-days & heat-demand index computed by PowerAtlas — a modelled heat-demand proxy, not a measured site figure.
Site climate & environmental severity
This site sits in a benign, low-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C1 — Very low), with dust abrasion the leading environmental stress.
Indicative estimate via the ISO 9223:2012 informative method (atmospheric corrosivity from temperature, time-of-wetness and airborne salinity), using WorldClim climate normals, the Köppen-Geiger class and coast distance. Indicative, not a measured corrosion rate.
How it compares & nearby plants
The #271 largest hydro power plant of 947 in China by capacity.
China has 947 hydro power plants in this dataset, together about 262,337 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Gansu Zhangye Shimiao Stage 2 · Hydro · 8 MW · Gansu Sheng
- Gansu Zhangye (West China Energy) power station · Biomass · 12 MW · Gansu Sheng
- GEPIC Zhangye power station · Coal · 650 MW · Gansu Sheng
- Gansu Zhangye Yingke · Hydro · 7 MW · Gansu Sheng
- Ganzhou · Solar · 50 MW · Gansu Sheng
- Gansu Zhangye · Solar · 10 MW · Gansu Sheng
Location
Coordinates 38.9342, 100.4517 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Xiaogushan?
Xiaogushan is a 102 MW hydro power plant in Gansu Sheng, China, commissioned in 2006.
Who operates Xiaogushan?
Xiaogushan is operated by Gansu Heihe Energy Development Co Ltd; Zhangye Municipal Water & Power Bureau; G.